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    Rebecca
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    Rebecca
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    Rebecca
    Audiobook14 hours

    Rebecca

    Written by Daphne Du Maurier

    Narrated by Anna Massey

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    "Rebecca is a work of immense intelligence and wit, elegantly written, thematically solid, suspenseful.." --Washington Post

    "Daphne du Maurier created a scale by which modern women can measure their feelings." --Stephen King

    Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . .

    The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.

    First published in 1938, this classic gothic novel is such a compelling read that it won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Century.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateAug 19, 2014
    ISBN9781478924302
    Author

    Daphne Du Maurier

    Daphne du Maurier (1907–1989) has been called one of the great shapers of popular culture and the modern imagination. Among her more famous works are The Scapegoat, Jamaica Inn, Rebecca, and the short story "The Birds," all of which were subsequently made into films—the latter three directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

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    Reviews for Rebecca

    4/5

    5,655 ratings285 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Unnamed narrator tells story of her marriage to owner of Manderley whose wife died in the previous year. The bride is intimidated by the cruel housekeeper and Rebecca’s memory. An ship running aground reveals an ugly truth. This was the third time in my life that I read this book.
    • 3/5
      This would have gotten a better review, because it was spledidly written, had it not been for the novel's central character, Mrs de Winter. God, what a young, naive, stupid, girl. I wanted to shake her, slap her, make her come alive! Rebecca is the tale of a young girl marrying an older wealthy widow and then returning with him to his great manor, Manderly. Unfortunately for the new Mrs. de Winter, the presence of Rebecca haunts every hallway, every garden, every object in that grand house. Even the staff seems to have preferred Rebecca. According to everyone she was beautiful, witty, vivacious, and charming; the best of women. Poor Mrs. de Winter is no substitute, she can't compete with the dead (not that she tries very hard), even her new husband seems to have become bored of her. As she tries to maintain her sanity and prove that she is capable; she starts to realize that there is far more that no one is telling her. A haunting and captivating novel, I just wish our "heroine" was up to the challenge, instead of being a doormat for everyone she meets!
    • 3/5
      Dreamy and haunting, also slow-moving and predictable (in the modern context). The ending is too easy, but the novel is overall fun and readable.
    • 5/5
      Incredible.
    • 5/5
      I like the twists and turns in this story. The story unfolds as the MC finds out her husband’s past. I’m surprised she stays in the end. But it would be correct for the time period, not today.
    • 5/5
      Rebecca was the first Mrs de Winter, who died tragically in an accident. The story's first-person, unnamed narrator is her successor, whose namelessness highlights the way that Rebecca's memory constantly overshadows her. She hasn't the talent or instinct to take possession of the Manderley estate or her new role, and the consequence is that she always feels her inferiority, metaphorically haunted by the spectre of Rebecca at every turn. At least, that's how it begins. This is a novel that offers greater rewards when you know less in advance.Daphne du Maurier sold me on her talent within the first fifty pages, with brilliantly astute comparisons between youth and middle-age, observations on first love, and on the sweet pains of memory and its association with place. These drop away as the narrator becomes more distant and the tone alters when suspense comes into play. The 2nd Mrs de Winter is a victim of frustrating timidity and frequent daydreaming, and the novel seems listless at determining its genre - but both of these faults are startlingly revealed as virtues. There are no rules in literature, only technique.
    • 5/5
      This classic novel opens with the words, "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again". An innocent young woman working as a companion in Monte Carlo receives a proposal from Maxim, a wealthy widower whose first wife died in a boating accident. After they are wed she accompanies him to his Cornwall mansion, the remote Manderley. There she meets his housekeeper, Mrs Danvers, who is still devoted to Maxim's first wife, Rebecca. Mrs Danvers plays mind games with Maxim's new wife, undermining and sabotaging her whenever possible and always comparing her with the 'perfect' Rebecca. One day a diver investigating a shipwreck discovers the remains of Rebecca's boat, with her body still on board, and Maxim confesses the truth about Rebecca to his new wife.Wonderfully written and compelling. I am extremely glad that I have finally read this classic and I would read it again. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked this one up - I happened to recall the book being around when I grew up, and actually couldn't recall if I'd read it or not. That was enough to bring it home. I had a blast reading it. Daphne du Maurier writes beautifully, even poetically at times. The slow buildup is masterful, with several moments of comic relief as we get to know our heroine, the new and naive Mrs. de Winter. She is clumsy, easily embarrassed, easily frightened, and has an overactive imagination when it comes to what she believes is being thought or said about her, as she is very aware of her perceived faults. This makes her likable as well as foolish, like a gamboling puppy you want to befriend as well as tame. She remains nameless, a clever bit by the author that adds to her growing intrigue as she tries to fit in to her new lifestyle as mistress of a grand old house, Manderley. We can all relate to being young, feeling awkward and out of our element at times, so it's easy to be drawn into her quest to learn more about her deceased predecessor, the mysterious and beautiful Rebecca. I really enjoy it when I get far more than I expected from a book. I'll be looking for more du Maurier after this one, and I want to see the Hitchcock film of this book, too. This is a perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day. Beware, about two thirds of the way in it becomes difficult to put down.
    • 4/5
      Rebecca is, of course, indebted to Jane Eyre in all sorts of consciously thematic and perhaps unconsciously associative ways, but the book has always maintained its own peculiar identity which puts it out of the category of mere imitation or 'tribute' fiction. Most important is du Maurier's tone, or rather that which she gives her own 'Jane': where Bronte's heroine is boldly certain and declarative, the 'I' who narrates Rebecca is self-effacing and habitually deferential, made clear by the singular device (which is also a dark joke) of keeping herself nameless throughout. The namelessness itself may trip readers into thinking that this will be an example of an unreliable narrative; but there is the important and almost never commented upon device of those first introductory chapters - a device unused in Jane Eyre, which proceeds in strict linear fashion - before the 'flashback' which takes up the rest of the story. This is no attempt to muddy the narratorial waters, much less to complicate the reader's point of view; rather, it is the second Mrs. de Winter's open declaration that the story of her own growth and disillusionment, while told from her own present-day understanding, must be gone through step by step from the moment she entered it several years before. And, fascinatingly, while she is continually kept in the dark about Rebecca herself, nothing we eventually discover about this apparent enigma contradicts what we have known from the beginning - the picture of Rebecca's actions is deepened and complicated, but not contradicted or confused. For instance, Maxim's confession at the end is entirely (if berserkly) consonant with what everyone else in the novel has been telling his new wife about his 'adoration' of Rebecca all along, and this is reinforced by another key element of the book that, as with the significance of the opening chapters, is often taken for granted. The narrator's own marriage with Maxim goes through multiple stages from unquestioning adoration to furious hurt, and at the end (which, of course, we've read first) she has become a mixture of mother, wife, and faithful retainer. The 'flashback' is the story of how they got there, as well as boosting belief in the seemingly sinister earlier marriage. And in none of this is there the intention, self-declared by the narrator, or implied by the author, that the heroine is unreliable in what she tells us: there are discoveries that flesh out previously more vague interpretations, but no reversals, and the narrator's framing of the story puts you on notice that she is very much in control of it.
    • 3/5
      A slow and steady pace for the first half, and just as I was getting so exasperated by the protagonist she grew some balls and things got interesting -- very interesting. Excellent second half: this is what makes the book memorable.

      Almost gothic, but not quite. Big estate manor on the coast, dead first wife, loyal servants, the local crazy, a good tale.
    • 5/5
      My second favorite novel
    • 5/5
      Perfection.
    • 5/5
      Loved it. If you appreciated Wilkie Collin's The Woman in White, you will enjoy Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. Young love. Old love. A beach cottage with its own village idiot (or is he?). A beautiful, beloved, deceased first wife (or is she?). The intimidating Mrs. Danvers, house-keeper with an agenda. And our own dear heroine, penniless and without prospects or a name. Literally, we never do learn her name.Want to get away from your late winter humdrums? Off to Manderley with you.
    • 4/5
      This year's Classic....I'll be honest from the start, I would never choose to read a Classic, I find them dated and slow, and rather pretentious. However, for some reason, book groups seem to feel a need to foist one on me every so often and their latest offering was Rebecca. "Oh no, you'll love it." they said. Oh no, I won't! Actually, 3 stars isn't bad a for a Classic, Lolita fared worse.So, poor girl falls on her feet and marries rich man. Hardly an original premise. There was the nasty scheming housekeeper, who tricks poor girl into making a complete fool of herself. And the dead first wife who plays a huge part, even though she's dead.I don't think I would have made it through all 400+ pages without the help of the very upper-crust, BBC voice of Anna Massey, but although she was a bit irritating, she was the perfect voice for the book.But the ending - No! No, no, no!!!
    • 4/5
      Most. Infuriating. Novel. Ever.
    • 4/5
      A psychological thriller
    • 4/5
      Du maurier's best novel.
    • 5/5
      St. Barts 2017 #3 - A special thrill to finally have read this......i was in the stage version of this many years ago, but had never read the book. In fact, it had been so long, i had forgotten some of the crucial details and was completely captivated by the book. A remarkable piece in that it is entirely about someone who is dead, Rebecca......and told from the point of view of the new Mrs. de Winter.....a person whose name is never revealed. And Mrs. Danvers' character is most memorable, a Nurse Ratchett of the English coast. Certainly this is a romance of sort, not my normal realm, but it definitely has a mysterious edge that is somewhat haunting......I truly loved the book. The only things holding me back from 5 stars, would be a dramatic mid-story scene with the creepy Mrs. Danvers (housekeeper) and Mrs. de Winter that seemed hard to swallow, and that there were no consequences from it entirely implausible.....Also, Max is a bit of a dweeb to be so ridiculously unaware of the torment his new wife was struggling with...... I loved the detailed descriptions of the seaside estate, Manderley, and all of the household goings-on of day-to-day routine. I thought it was a great read......finally!
    • 4/5
      This started off slowly, but the end was intense with an interesting twist. Made me want to listen again.
    • 4/5
      this book reminded me of jane austen's books. historical romantic novel with a suspenseful twist. mostly about the life of newlyweds and the adjustments they have to make. didn't like how the ending left you wondering but overall it was a really good read.
    • 4/5
      I had seen the Joan Fontaine/Laurence Olivier movie "Rebecca" several times before I finally picked up this book. I have always liked the movie but the relationship between Max and the narrator was always a little baffling. After reading the book, I felt I understook the characters and their relationships so much better. Having seen the movie, I figured I knew the ending of the book, but was pleasantly surprised how much more there was to the story.
    • 5/5
      A favorite from high school years. What a romance! Think I've read it three times, though long ago. What I remember was the atmosphere and the suspense.
    • 4/5
      The opening sequence finds the narrator (who remains unnamed throughout the book) living abroad with her husband, moving from one hotel to another, clinging to rituals to provide stability to a nomadic existence, her whole focus the comfort of her husband. She has a dream of going back to Manderley and thinks back on how she came to be there - how she met Max de Winter, their move to his ancestral home, the strongly felt presence of Rebecca, the first Mrs. de Winter, and what finally drove them to their current life.
      I can't remember ever reading a book that trapped me so thoroughly inside the narrator during the whole story. It's her point of view that determines the scope of the story, her views and biases that limits the reader's perception of the other protagonists and the events unfolding. She takes us along on her musings, imagining consequences that may or may not come to pass, interpreting actions and motivations only to find herself wrong. The use of the first person narrative cleverly allows the writer to influence the reader's perception, limiting the scope of the tale to the events she witnessed.
      The one flaw for me is the fact that the whole focus of her life, her love for Max, never becomes real and understandable. Except for the later parts of the books he remains a remote and sketchy presence. I struggled through the first part of the book as being inside the narrator through her meeting with Max and the introduction to Manderley was quite uncomfortable. The story picked up when it became clear that there was some mystery around Rebecca and the relationship between the narrator and the people surrounding her became more real, the focus shifted from her daily life at Manderley to the death of Rebecca.
    • 4/5
      Rebecca is a difficult book for me to review. I loved the writing but didn't particularly love the characters - although the plot grew on me as the book progressed. This is only the 2nd du Maurier book I have read. The first was The Scapegoat, which I read in two sittings and enjoyed immensely. That book featured more intrigue and imminent danger than found here - although Rebecca has, arguably, a more believable plot line. What both books share is du Maurier's talent for creating lush, lavish settings via wonderfully realized first-person narration. The Manderley house and grounds are a separate and intriguing character in their own right. At times, I felt more affinity with the house than I did with its' owner! Speaking of the owner... Maxim de Winter is a rather creepy and aloof fellow. The new Mrs. de Winter was also irritatingly milquetoast at the start, exhibiting an astonishing lack of self-confidence. With time, she did begin to grow a backbone and that perhaps was the thing that finally redeemed this novel for me. When all is said and done, I give it 3.75 stars rounded up to 4 - mostly based on the strength of the writing.
    • 2/5
      The story of a dumbass child and her love for an asshole twice her age. The nameless main character is incredibly impulsive, ignorant, and a ridiculous dreamer who is incapable of asserting herself or standing up for herself. Her husband is cruel and emotionlessly vacant. All the while they are haunted by the ghostly memory of his dead first wife. The lady's maid, Mrs. Danvers is a cruel and manipulative bitch that plays the main characters in her evil game of hatred due to her ridiculous loyalty to the dead Rebecca. None of the main characters are likeable in any way. The plot is a nuisance and incredibly reminiscent to Jane Eyre (a tedious novel I hate with a fervid passion).
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this book. Sort of. Mostly when I wasn't reading it. I felt like the book was just too long to get its point across--that Daphne du Maurier could have cut out 50 or so pages of "Our unnamed protaganist now will contemplate on the scenery at Manderley, or about how Mrs. Danvers dislikes her, or how she is too timid to goddamn stand up for herself." Clearly I have some reservations.

      However! I think the novel really wrapped itself up nicely in the end (although you do have to do some thinking--or Googling--for yourself to figure it out), and that it was a classic love story.

      Overall, a pretty good story that I probably wouldn't read over again, but I think it's a very good book. I can understand why it's a Classic and why people absolutely and smashingly fall in love with it, I just wouldn't place myself in those ranks.

      Edited about a month after I read it: changed my review from 4 to 5 stars. When I think of this book in retrospect, I love it a lot more for its classic elements, the haunting beauty of Manderley, that sort of thing.
    • 4/5
      Heady with atmosphere and masterful narration, Rebecca is a far more complex and delightful book that I expected it to be. DuMaurier's perennial favorite is one of those books that girls who read, had always read and gushed about, like Gone with the Wind or Pride and Prejudice. And for some reason I lumped in with the melodramatic soap opera Gone with the Wind rather than with Austen's masterpiece. In truth, it falls somewhere in between. It lacks the humor that gives Austen's work such a warm finish. And, two it lacks Austen's keen insight. In fact, the book is more in tune with Jane Eyre, indeed, and here is its biggest flaw according to critics of the book, it is quite derivative. But why do I like it so much better than Jane Eyre? The unnamed narrator, for one, is more admirable than the afraid of her own shadow Jane, and Maxim is not the seemingly heartless monster that Rochester is. The characters in Rebecca are far better balanced than Brontes. There were times when the story dragged a bit, but I think that I have become less patient with introspection in books that are tauted as suspense. Otherwise Rebecca is a fine, fine book, one that I am glad I finally got around to reading.

      My reading of the book was broken into 2 parts as some required readings forced me to set it aside for a time.
    • 5/5
      romantic thriller - Rebecca haunts the new Mrs De Winter. But who was she? And was she really perfection?
    • 5/5
      Rebecca begins with one of my favourite opening lines 'last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again' and continues weaving its romantic, mysterious spell from there on in. One of the striking things about the book is that the narrator of the story, despite being at the centre of the goings on in Manderley, is never addressed by her first name. You never find out exactly who she is, other than the second Mrs de Winter, which really sums up just how overshadowed she is by the first Mrs de Winter, Rebecca. I found this book exquisitely detailed, dark and gripping.
    • 5/5
      This is a deceptively simple story, but it's a classic for a reason. There is so much going on here!On its face, it's the story of an insecure, inexperienced nameless(!) bride who is swept off her feet and brought to the fancy estate of her new husband, a recent widower. Once there, she finds herself being compared to his first wife, Rebecca, who was by all accounts beautiful, vivacious, fashionable, popular, independent, and a force of nature. Isolated and lacking self-esteem, the new Mrs. de Winter finds herself falling into self-doubt, paranoia, and despair, aided by the gaslighting housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (who adored Rebecca). I don't want to give away all the twists and turns here, but let's just say that du Maurier has the major plot pivot happen about halfway through the book and STILL has you turning the pages impatiently 'til the end; it's that good. Perhaps the most brilliant aspect is that she makes you, the reader, complicit in some of the shenanigans. You find yourself rooting for people whom you might otherwise be horrified by, and that takes skill. You also might not realize until much later that there were more victims than you thought (sorry for the vagueness) and fewer heroes. The book also has an opening sentence for the ages, and perfect bookends of opening/closing. It's not a perfect book--some of the prose can be a bit turgid for today's audiences (that's why I took half a star off). But if you're a fan of Jane Eyre, try this one--it's outstanding.